Trial Adoption Program
As of January 2024, we have made some changes to our Trial Adoption Program. Trial Adoptions are a great opportunity to bring a pup home with you and get some bonus time with them to see whether or not it’s a good fit. These opportunities have been encouraging folks who were on the fence about taking that first step forward toward adoption, while removing the added pressure or guilt should it not be the best match.
These are special opportunities that are only offered for a select few of our pups, so be sure to check for the “Trial Adoption Candidate” banner across the dog’s picture on our Adoptable Dogs page to see who is eligible!
how do trial adoptions work?
You can reach out about our “Trial Adoption” dogs the same way you would show interest in any of our dogs - just email us at adoptionmeetings@muddypawsrescue.org to express your interest!
If you are first on this dog’s waitlist and seem like a good potential fit, we will coordinate a meeting with you and the dog. If all goes well, you would adopt the pup with the understanding that the first two weeks of the adoption are the “trial period”. If at any point during those first two weeks, you feel that it’s not going to work out, you can let us know and we will start looking for foster placement for that pup again (remember that we are 100% foster based, so it may take some time to find a new home!) As long as the terms of the contract are followed (more details on this below), you can receive a full refund of the adoption fee once the pup is back in our care.
when are adoption fees refundable for trial adoptions that don’t work out?
If you decide during the “trial period” that the adoption is not a good fit and let us know that you’d like to return the dog, you will be eligible for a refund of the adoption fee if all terms of the Trial Adoption contract have been followed. The basic rules of the Trial Adoption are listed below, or you can take a look at the full Trial Adoption contract.
The adopter must keep the dog in their care for the full trial adoption period and until foster placement has been found through MPR. This may take an additional 5 business days from the end of the “trial period” to secure.
The dog can not be taken to dog parks or have interactions with unknown dogs on or off leash.
The dog must be kept on that martingale collar and MPR tag provided at the time of adoption.
The dog must be kept on leash at all times if not indoors or in a securely fenced yard.
The dog must be crated when not actively supervised.
why does muddy paws offer trial adoption opportunities?
Animal welfare organizations across the country have seen a dramatic drop in adoption interest in the years following the height of the COVID pandemic. As a result, we have some pretty awesome dogs who sometimes stay with us for longer than they should with little to no inquiries. We know once people spend time with these dogs and get to know them like we do, they will completely fall in love.
why aren’t trial adoptions offered for all dogs?
There are certain pups that come into our care and accumulate a very long waitlist of interested adopters as soon as they become available on our website. We like to use our Trial Adoption Program as a way to get more attention on the dogs who aren’t getting much interest!
These dogs are often seniors, bonded pairs, breeds commonly listed in building restrictions, dogs unable to be present at our weekly events and dogs who have medical conditions or require a more experienced dog handler. Sometimes it’s even just a dog who doesn’t have the best pictures on our website and seems to be getting overlooked!
Since we started our Trial Adoption program, it has encouraged potential adopters to welcome these pups into their homes, find out that they’re a great fit and end up with a new member of the family that they otherwise may not have felt confident taking in. In short, our Trial Adoption Program helps us find amazing homes, more quickly, for dogs who have been in our care longer and truly deserve it!
